


Youngest Brother

by Styx_and_stones



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Depowered Gabriel (Supernatural), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode: s08e15 Man's Best Friend with Benefits, Sam Winchester Attempts the Trials of Hell, Sick Gabriel (Supernatural), Sick Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 06:05:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19457914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Styx_and_stones/pseuds/Styx_and_stones
Summary: What did Gabriel expect when he took that deal from the Empty? Being essentially human sucked.While feeling humiliated, he finds himself longing for his actual family to look after him, just like they did eons ago.





	Youngest Brother

**Author's Note:**

> The H/C and other posts from Sabriel week made me want to post my own stuff, even if it's only a scene from something I'd like to continue writing around. 
> 
> Sorry for no beta, but if I keep hesitating, I'm never going to post it online.

Gabriel sat at a table in the bunker’s kitchen, head held in one hand with his eyes closed. His head had been throbbing since he woke up. The cup of water hadn’t done much to sooth his sore throat, and he should probably find more tissues before he went and resorted to his sleeve again, ick! Yeah, he knew humans could be disgusting, but there was no getting used to being the _source_ of the grossness.

It was days like this that he almost regretted taking that deal to get out of the Empty. _Live like a human; it’ll be fine._ Yeah, desperate was more like it. But Gabriel wasn’t about to call ‘Uncle’ already. It had only been a few weeks, a few _long_ weeks of adjusting to humanity. He wasn’t about to give that schmuck the satisfaction of sending him back to sleep.

When he heard the banging that meant the boys were back from their hunt, Gabriel thought about leaving to hide in his room. As much as he wanted to avoid them, it would make things between them awkward, and his brain couldn’t handle one more thing right now. Plus leaving meant moving, which took way too much effort today. So when Dean came in, Gabriel was still sitting there holding his head.

“You look like shit. Did you catch Sammy’s cold?”

Gabriel sniffled, “I dunno, maybe? Sam’s sick?”

“Yeah, he’s been coughing since we left St. Louis.” Dean pulled a beer out of the fridge. “He dozed off and on through most of the drive back; at least he can’t bitch about it and sleep at the same time.”

“Swell, how was the case?” Gabriel noticed how Dean tensed up at that.

“I hate witches,” he turned away, to rustle around the rest of the kitchen for some dinner.

“Terrific.”

\---

Gabriel walked into the library to find Sam propped up trying to research…something. Like Dean said, he had a hoarse cough and Gabriel could see a cluster of balled up tissues on the table beside him. “Hey kiddo.” Gabriel rasped, getting Sam’s attention. 

“Gabriel---” Sam didn’t get far at all before more coughing cut him off.

“I ran into Dean already. He’s trying to decide which one of us got the other sick. No quarantine just yet, though.” Gabriel settled down next to the stack of books he should have been translating.

“Man, I can see why Dean’s unsure. You gonna lie down? Bed’s much better than falling asleep on a book.” Barely one minute had passed, and Gabriel was already regretting coming in here. He sensed the pity in Sam’s words even if he was smart enough not to say it, and it definitely rubbed him the wrong way.

The Winchesters weren’t the only ones to have stubbornness and pride run in the family. It was one thing to be weaker than his former self, or the lower angels, or the gods and demi-gods, but he wasn’t adding humans to that list too.

“You aren’t.” He attempted a terse nonchalance and shrugged. “I’ve seen people with colds before. This is a cold, right? If it’s not concerning enough for humans to change their routines for, then it shouldn’t be a concern for me either.”

“You’ve never gotten a cold before, have you?”

“Guess.” He sniffled some more as he felt his nose leaking, again.

“Right.” Sam responded, handing Gabriel some clean tissues. “Colds can last a while, but people do take it easier when they feel the worst. So, yeah, if a human had the opportunity to lie down, they’d take it.”

While he gave Sam an uncertain look, Gabriel noticed Sam wasn’t faring much better. _Practice what you preach, kid._ Not that it should be a surprise with the list of self-sacrificing BS these yahoos have going.

Sam reaching for Gabriel’s forehead snapped him back to the present, and he took a confused step back until Sam pulled away. “Okay, how about this, if I go to bed, will you?”

_Wait, what? Really?_ “Yes.”

“Okay, come on. We’ll get some meds to sleep for a week.” Sam stood up, and Gabriel felt a hand behind his shoulder that guided him to Sam’s room.

_Where did that come from?_ Gabriel cautiously tried to reevaluate the situation. His annoyance at the pity wasn’t completely gone, but maybe he hadn’t read the situation completely right. Sam was treating him with compassion, like a partner and not an invalid.

“Have a seat while I find what I’m looking for.”

Gabriel looked around at chairs with clothing and other objects piled on them before sitting at the foot of the bed, far back enough that his feet couldn’t touch the floor.

“Tell me what hurts.”

“Throat and head. Nose doesn’t hurt, just leaking and useless for breathing.” The fewer words he said, the less humiliated he felt.

Sam pulled out a bottle of purple liquid and something Gabriel recognized as a thermometer. “Here we go. Just as a precaution, we should take your temperature, too.” Sam sat down on the bed next to Gabriel looking concerned.

Gabriel eyed him wearily, “You first, Samsquatch.” _No neglecting yourself, Sam._

Sam opened his mouth to complain, but changed his mind. He set up the thermometer, closed his eyes, and placed it in his mouth. When it beeped, Sam pulled it out to read it and seemed surprised. He put his free hand up to his own head. “Ok, low-grade fever but nothing dangerous.” After replacing everything, Sam handed the thermometer to Gabriel. “Press the button, the end has to go the whole way under your tongue.” Gabriel temperature was also on the higher side, slightly under Sam’s.

Sam poured a purple liquid in a tiny plastic cup, “this doesn’t do anything about the virus, just the symptoms, but it does make you sleep so that you get better sooner.” He drank the liquid in one gulp before filling up the cup and handing it to Gabriel to do the same.

It was far from the first time Sam had watched out for him since Gabriel had essentially become human, even if it was the most humiliating. Like the previous times, Gabriel pondered the calmness he felt. This wasn’t the same as resting behind a thick layer of wards in one of his safehouses or the protection afforded to him by his alliance with Loki and the other pagans.

It was the safety of his older brothers and how they sheltered and cared for him when he did something as stupid as burning himself by playing around with stars.

He shouldn’t be putting that much trust in the Winchesters, it was going to backfire on him, but he guessed that’s just showed how much human life stank. Sam slipped off his shoes and flannel before climbing into his bed in his t-shirt and sweatpants, but Gabriel sat still on the end of the bed, facing the wall.

“What’s wrong?” Sam put one hand on Gabriel’s shoulder.

“Nothing, it’s just still uncomfortable to sleep. I want to lock myself in like normal, but maybe it’s better to leave it open in case I need…help while I’m…” _sick, weak, unsure what to do_ “…not great at human things.” He’d already started to feel drowsier than a few minutes ago.

“If it’ll make you feel better, lock the door and stay here with me?” Gabriel raised one eyebrow and stared back at Sam.

“Unless you’re concerned about getting sick from my germs.” Sam teased.

“I mean, sharing a bed is great, but usually that means I’m _not_ getting any sleep.”

“Dean and I would share when we were kids,” Sam rolled his eyes. “It helped me sleep, especially after finding out about monsters being real.” Gabriel understood that sentiment; feeling the other archangels nearby calmed him in a way he hadn’t figured out how to replicate since leaving Home.

“Uh, Sam? The only way I’m five years old is if you count in billions.” Gabriel paused. He really did want that comfort and safety, “But I guess I’ll take the youngest sibling perks this once, if it’s okay?”

Sam nodded, and Gabriel muttered something about sleep clothes before leaving and coming back in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Sam was still trying to find a way to lay down without coughing as Gabriel locked the door, took off his shoes, and climbed into the bed.

Once they both settled down, Gabriel felt Sam’s large frame move next to him and place a large, cool hand on his forehead. Gabriel hummed in delight at the unexpected coolness and Sam gave him a squeeze around his shoulders. “You’re okay, Gabriel. Just relax and get some sleep.”

As he fell asleep, Gabriel reminisced about his oldest brother keeping watch against Auntie or anything other threat while his big brother held him in his cool grace to soothe his burn.


End file.
